Consumer Rights Directive a first step but lacks protection for car buyers, says FIA

Publication date: 23 June 2011

The new Consumers Rights Directive does not do enough to protect car buyers according to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), which represents 35 million motoring consumers via 71 member Clubs in Europe. The final text of the agreement was passed by the European Parliament today (Thursday 23 June), after a lengthy procedure.

“The Parliament has missed a good opportunity to protect families when investing in something as expensive as a car. The text agreed upon is much less ambitious than the original proposal”, said Jacob Bangsgaard, Director General of FIA Region I, who noted that transport-related goods are the second biggest budget item for most households according to the European Commission.

“The FIA is particularly concerned by the removal of warrantees and remedies in the case of a lack of conformity. This considerably weakens the proposal”, said Mr Bangsgaard. He added, “We welcome the agreement as a first step towards better protecting consumers but feel it lacks ambition, in particular with regard to protection of car buyers”.

The FIA also raised its concerns that consumers are requested to pay the costs for sending goods back for distance and off-premises contracts “unless the trader has agreed to bear them or the trader failed to inform the consumer” but welcomed the fact that the deadline for reimbursing consumers after withdrawal was shortened to 14 days (instead of 30).

Furthermore, given that the purchase of a car still represents an important expense for European consumers, the FIA calls for better account to be taken in future of the specificities of high value, long life span goods such as cars, which are often used for mixed-purposes, i.e. both professional and private.

Note for Editors

The proposal for a new Consumer Rights Directive, first tabled by the European Commission in October 2008, seeks to merge the existing four EU consumer rights directives into one set of fully harmonised rules.

The new directive will apply to contracts between retailers and consumers. It aims to regulate the information to be provided to consumers prior to conclusion of a contract as well as both parties’ rights and obligations, mainly for distance and off-premises contracts. The new rules will have to be transposed into member states’ legislation by 2013.

FIA European Bureau: Who do we represent ?

The FIA European Bureau represents 71 Touring and Motoring clubs in the European Union, which total more than 35 million members. We represent the interest of these members as motorists, public transport users, pedestrians and tourists.

The FIA’s primary goal is to secure a mobility that is safe, affordable, sustainable and efficient at EU level. With these aims in mind our work focuses on Road Safety, Consumer Protection, Environmental Protection, and the promotion of Sustainable Motoring.

For more information please contact Niall Carty, ncarty@fia.com (Tel: 0032 2 282 0812 or 0032 486 650 216)